Thursday 30 July 2020

Hoppity-hop



Plenty of moths around at the moment - and, as so often happens, a couple of hawk moths obligingly came yesterday when a friend's granddaughters called by. One went away with an Elephant Hawk on her fingertip, the other with a Poplar Hawk.  My top composite shows, from the top left clockwise: Brimstone, Buff Ermine, a rather faded Lead Belle (Update: Edward in Comments questions this, I think rightly. I wonder if it is a worn Shaded Broad-bar, a very common moth hereabouts at the moment), Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark Swordgrass (a strong-flying immigrant recorded in every month of the year) and Willow Beauty.


This collection are prominents, the Lesser Swallow Prominent at top left and bottom centre with its large white rose-thorn shape, the Swallow Prominent top right with its white streaks, and two Pebble Prominents to left and right in the bottom row. Here are the diagnostic markings of the Swallow and Lesser Swallow writ large (Update: and thanks again to Edward for getting my order right):



Away from the  moths, I will shortly be testing the experts at iRecord with these three grasshoppers, the last one found by one of my grandsons, and a moth trap-inhabiting snail. Update: Conehead has done the job instead in Comments - very many thanks - suggesting that the first is probably a Field Grasshopper, the second definitely a male Meadow Grasshopper and the third a Southern Oak Bush-cricket, pointing out the difference - crickets have long antennae which grasshoppers lack.  With my yearning to have antennae, I hope I will be born again as a cricket rather than a grasshopper.




4 comments:

Edward Evans said...

I dont think that is a Lead Belle, in fact, I think it is too worn for ID. If I was pushed I'd say Red Carpet but they are upland moths that don't occur in Oxon, they do here though.

Edward

Edward Evans said...

Bottom centre is lesser Swallow P.

Conehead54 said...

Good selection of moths. Of the grasshoppers the first I think is a Field, the second definitely a male Meadow Grasshopper & the bottom not one at all but a Southern Oak Bush-cricket (note long antennae which bush-crickets have but grasshoppers lack, having short ones!). The latter species is flightless & a fairly recent colonist bit seems adept at getting around, often hitching lifts on cars, etc. Pretty common in London gardens these days.

Martin Wainwright said...

Thanks so much both - and it's very good to havea grasshopper/cricket monitor! Specially as the grandchildren are here, so I can pretend to be knowledgeable. I will give credit where it's due, honestly...